Kitbasher's blog: City slicker turned beach bum

[kitbasher]

Chipping away at the PhanBat/Foxtom and the resurrected Revell Ki-61 at the mo.  Finally decided upon the latter's colour scheme, decals drawn (OK typed) but not printed yet.  Wednesday avo modelling session devoted to going through my Spitfire stash to rationalise build plans. 

For now an old Airfix Vc (the reworked Vb with new parts) can go in the stash reduction pile to make way for a new Airfix 1/72 Vc.  The three Vbs I currently have will be kept for numerous conversions needing a B wing (Ib, IIb, VI), with the other old Vc to be used for a Seafire IIc. 

May get a second Vc to convert to a Seafire L.III, although I've enough Airkit C wings to build one the hard way by using the current Airfix Spitfire I (Lidl beckons!).

[kitbasher]

PhanBat/Foxtom will definitely be Canadian, but markings may not now be CF-18 - it's a question of getting round the limitations of home printing decals using a basic ink-jet printer.  Will dry test the options before deciding which way to go.

[kitbasher]

UK Lockdown 3 GB, anyone?  Starts immediately, may or may not end mid-Feb.

[kitbasher]

Repeat of last year's basically, finish all of the part builds before starting a new build.

Reduce stash to make way for/justify new kits.

Don't be distracted by impromptu 'good idea' (i.e. led up a blind alley) builds.

Yeah, right.

Build some real world Spitfires and at least one Hunter.

Finally build a Shackleton AEW2 and restore/rebuild a VERY old FROG Shack MR3.

Well how's my NY resolutions going so far?

I know I picked up a new Airfix Spitfire Vc at the very start of January but it had been on order since early December so it sort of doesn't count as breaking that particular resolution.  The stash reduction box has had a couple of items taken out of it - one to pass on to someone and the other for some whiffery.  TBH only the forthcoming Airfix 1/72 Beaufort and Mosquito beckon, even then the Mosquito has the greater pull.  Really would like some Special Hobby Meteor NFs but can live without them until stash reduction box contents have been reduced.

Not yet distracted by new planned and new impromptu builds, trying to get some 'shelf queens' finished before I start something new.  At least the 'Captured GB' has inspired me to get two part builds finally finished.

The intended real-world Spitfire and Hunter builds are in the 'pending cupboard' and the Shackleton AEW2 is down from the loft.

[kitbasher]

In accordance with my New Year resolutions I've revived the Percival Puffin (https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=46667.msg848913#msg848913), Hawker P.1067 and CASA 2.217 (https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=42840.msg742565#msg742565) builds listed in my profile.  Progress with the first two, the third is in the queue!  Pics of the completed models will follow eventually. 

Still resisting the temptation to start something new, it's difficult at times though!

[NARSES2]

Still resisting the temptation to start something new, it's difficult at times though!

Tell me about it 

[PR19_Kit]

Still resisting the temptation to start something new, it's difficult at times though!

I never resist it.

Which is why my 'Unbuilt Projects' list is in the 50s!

It was in the 60s this time last year though. 

[Pellson]

I never resist it.

¨

I find myself in dignified company. 

[kitbasher]

Well, well, well.  The things you find when ya not looking for them.

Wondering where to keep the P1067, Puffin and CASA 2.217 when they're done.  Need to free up a bit of space and thought I could de-whiff my Norseman AL.1 (see https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=31655.msg487074#msg487074).  Got to rummage through't tinterweb for possible colour schemes when I happened upon Wikipedia's Noorduyn Norseman page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noorduyn_Norseman#:~:text=The%20Noorduyn%20Norseman%2C%20also%20known%20as%20the%20C-64,for%20almost%2025%20years%20with%20over%20900%20produced) and spotted that operators included the RAF.

I don't think so. 

No mention of this in my well-thumbed copy of Owen Thetford's 'Aircraft of the RAF Since 1918' or any other, similar RAF reference to hand.  No mention of Norsemen on List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force - Wikipedia, so no in-house cross-checking there, then.  If http://norsemanhistory.ca/ and http://silverhawkauthor.com/canadian-warplanes-4-the-second-world-war-and-postwar-noordyn-norseman_693.html make no mention of RAF ownership - and they should know - then again, no Wikipedia, you're wrong.

https://www.colettiscombataircraft.com/prodotto/noorduyn-norseman/ and https://wikimili.com/en/Noorduyn_Norseman#Military_operators (possibly others too) make the same claim as Wikipedia.

I think they must have been misled by http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal11/10601-10700/gal10627-Norseman-Drake/00.shtm.  They didn't check the date.   

[Howard of Effingham]

The Norseman! I'd quite forgotten about that one!

[kitbasher]

The Norseman! I'd quite forgotten about that one!

And it's all your fault!

[Howard of Effingham]

The Norseman! I'd quite forgotten about that one!

And it's all your fault!

[kitbasher]

So, just about 18% through the year and the resolutions are holding up reasonably well.

No stash additions (the Hobbyboss Spit's not for me!) and the only new builds are for the Blue Lights GB so am counting them as legit, not in breach of the resolution.  You may disagree!

Tony Martin's Lightning book is read and has provided (more accurately consolidated) plans for a Lightning whif.  And possibly thrown up some stash reduction potential, although tbh I think that's unlikely to happen.  Depends on whether a GB idea of mine is picked up as part of the 2021-2022 GB plan.

The pending RW builds still pend, the Puffin and P1067 inch closer to completion despite a minor setback to the latter.  All resolved now, though.

[NARSES2]

So, just about 18% through the year

And here's me thinking I was the Board's tame statistician ? 

[kitbasher]

So, just about 18% through the year

And here's me thinking I was the Board's tame statistician ?